


Homecoming

by leominoris



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Established Relationship, Implied Sexual Content, Long-Distance Relationship, Multi, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Na Jaemin, Nonbinary Zhong Chenle, Set in Paris, Soul Bond, Trans Character, Trans Huang Ren Jun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:47:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28197141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leominoris/pseuds/leominoris
Summary: Navigating a long-distance relationship through a mating bond was trickier than Jaemin had initially imagined.Paris, Seoul 2034. Of venturing farther than you would've ever imagined—and of the return.
Relationships: Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin/Zhong Chen Le
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26
Collections: NCTV Secret Santa 2020





	Homecoming

**Author's Note:**

  * For [englishsummerrain](https://archiveofourown.org/users/englishsummerrain/gifts).



> Dear Kels,  
> Happy holidays, I hope that despite everything this year you're able to experience a safe and happy time regardless of whether you celebrate or not! I'm sure that if the choice of main character won't give away who I am something else within the first ten sentences will but please humour me regardless, yes? :,)
> 
> This is also where I'd like to quickly thank admin bloom of the NCTV Secret Santa and my partner in crime 🎆, who sat through me rambling, crying about wanting to go to Paris at two in the morning and reassuring me throughout all of this. Also shout out to friends 💥 and 🦋 who sat through my early stages of trying to figure out my take on an omegaverse setting and my panicked breakdown about not being sure if I'd really be able to do non-binary Jaemin and Chenle justice.  
> None of this would've been possible without you.

"There'll be a light in the hall and the kettle on  
And it'll be just like you were never gone."  
— If You Ever Come Back, The Script

"We've really got to stop doing this." Even through the mental connection, Jeno's voice is breathy and laboured. Jaemin hears Chenle giggle and their chest hurts thinking about how it's a little higher when they talk through the Link, a distortion in this little echo of reality. They miss hearing him in real life, feeling his laughter reverberate in his chest when they're curled up next to him during the early mornings as they watch Jeno get ready for work.

Their jobs are what make this entire relationship such a complicated matter, to begin with, they bemoan and wrench the warm water faucet open. The water they've run for their midnight bath has gone cold between poking their connection and now.  
"If I catch a cold because of you, Zhong Chenle–" They trail off. The feeling Chenle sends back doesn't strike Jaemin as particularly intimidated despite the threat in their tone.  
"Please don't catch a cold," Jeno replies fondly. He sounds a little more composed now. If Jaemin pays attention they can feel him stuffing his dress shirt back into his slacks.  
_Oh_. Right, he had mentioned he'd arrived at the office a little before Chenle had pointed out that Jaemin was naked.

Navigating a long-distance relationship through a mating bond was trickier than Jaemin had initially imagined. The timing for telepathy was more often than not hard to gauge (exhibit A: Chenle deciding that Jaemin taking a bath at one in the morning, Central European Standard Time, was the perfect time for emotionally connected mutual masturbation because he didn't have to be at the office until nine in the morning—conversely also the time when Jeno, who was an hour ahead of Chenle, had to clock in for work. The amount of mathematics involved in juggling that aspect alone brought a disgusted grimace to Jaemin's face that they knew their mates couldn't see but felt regardless.

"I'd help you with clean-up if I could," Chenle offers as a response and though he doesn't sound particularly sorry—or serious, for that matter— Jaemin appreciates it. Even if by the mental image Chenle sends along he seems to equate cleaning up with eating them out, much in line with his _save water, don't shower every day_ philosophy.  
"It's quite alright," Jaemin replies out loud. The echo of their hotel bathroom amplifies the sound of their voice and they flinch, smacking the back of their head against the rim of the bathtub.  
"I had plans to take a bath, we recall," they grit out between their teeth, rubbing the hot water into their skin.

In theory, the Link came into existence the moment the three of them completed their mating bond. It's an oddly romantic concept, considering second genders used to exist first and foremost to maintain the human population. The necessity for a mechanism like that has long since grown obsolete—maybe most obvious in how omegas designated male at birth can't carry children anymore—but the remnants of it, including the Link, still exist. Jaemin can't remember when exactly they started picking up on how not all of what they feel isn't _all_ their own and it took the three of them years of experimenting to stretch the Link the way they're able to do now. On some days it still feels more like a burden than a gift, but there is little to be done about it. Most case studies of broken Links detail horrifying outcomes and more than being scared of suffering them themselves, Jaemin would never want to put Chenle or Jeno at risk like this. It hurts to give up yet another part of their privacy when their top model activities already push them into the limelight in ways that are no longer just up to them, but it's a worthwhile sacrifice.

"Mute the Link," Chenle requests. Jaemin can feel how he's getting dressed, he's most liberal with his senses, maybe because as their bonded alpha it's part of his nature to want to provide comfort and safety. In this case, it comes with the illusion of wearing his clothes.  
"If I feel how relaxed and sleepy you're getting I might fall asleep in the middle of my meeting." Jeno echoes the sentiment, though more shyly. He and Jaemin have shared so much throughout their lives that it took a lot of effort and hard work to curb their codependent tendencies. They're still not gone, some days require more wrangling than the others but it has become easier to take distance when necessary, even if it's about small things like not getting each other sleepy when they should be working.

"I get it, I'm no longer wanted here," Jaemin huffs dramatically and sinks further into the tub. "Should've known you two only want me for my hot supermodel body." It's a joke and both of their mates know. The fact that they can say it at all is a huge step up from their teenage years and early twenties, though, and feeling Chenle's flare of agreement paired with Jeno's badly concealed laughter makes them feel a little better. "Get your hot supermodel body back home," Jeno adds with a whine. "Both of you. The bed is too big for me and the cats. What's the point in living together when you're both away for work all the time anyway?" "Aww, you're being needy," Chenle needles.

Jaemin closes their eyes and gives into the warmth of their bath, closing off their end of the connection until all that's left is Chenle and Jeno bickering lovingly. Jaemin can hear and feel them but until they reopen their Link they'll be muted to them, nothing more than a faint, warm presence at the very core of their hearts. For a while, that is how they remain.

💫 🐶🐱🐰 💫

"Is there any chance–" Jeno's voice trails off in tandem with his presence in the Link receding and Jaemin imagines themselves reaching out for him and wrapping their fingers around his wrist, keeping him in place. It stills the mental fidgeting if nothing else.  
"Is there any chance of what?"  
"… that you'll be able to take time off for my heat next month?"

Jaemin tries to keep the flare of annoyance down, it's directed at themselves but it's often hard to specify that with minds partially melded together. It isn't Jeno's fault that they hadn't thought of it and they know that if they admit to forgetting he wouldn't feel hurt. The past few months have been nothing if not hectic for all of them.

"I'll talk to Chaeyoung," they reply, shimmying into their trousers while trying not to drop their phone. If Jeno were here in person he'd scold them for making a call hands-free. Then again, if Jeno were here they'd have no need for a phone to begin with.  
"I'm sorry, Acorn. I forgot." A sulky stab runs through their connection before Jeno exhales on the other side of the call and sends a soothing follow-up sensation.  
"It's okay, it happens."  
"When are you setting your induction date for exactly?"  
"January second."  
"Almost New Year's Day. Neat." Jaemin grins and it earns them the hint of a smile back.  
"It's when my batch of suppressants is up."

Had Jaemin been home more frequently they might've known. During their early working years there had been a lot less jet-setting across the planet and although things had quickly gotten busy—they'd still had to make a living, right?— they'd still shared their mornings and evenings with their mates. Taking their birth control at the same time Chenle and Jeno took their suppressants had become somewhat of a household ritual and had made it easier for Jaemin to keep track.

They'd eventually let go of it again as their professional lives had picked up and even sharing the same place had no longer been a guarantee that they'd see each other regularly and with how rarely Jaemin had been home at all in the last five months the most talking they'd done had been around more pressing matters. Things like Jeno's latest nightmare case involving his client suing someone who seemingly didn't get the memo not to destroy evidence and Chenle's plans for their next big tattoo and Jaemin recounting their adventures in Paris with Renjun while they'd been there for Fashion Week.

More often than not, extended conversations like they'd had the night before weren't feasible at all, the three of them too busy and exhausted to sit down and talk through the link. Staying in touch mainly meant messaging and sending each other flashes of sensations when important things happened and replying to fragments of conversations in the back of their mind this way.

All in all, it's a natural progression of matters. They're well settled into their professions by now with Chenle having turned thirty-three a few weeks ago so they're either expected to be slaves to capitalism or to start having kids. Neither option, Jaemin knows, really leaves room for an extended time with a mate, let alone an unmated partner and neither option is on the table for them to begin with. It's not how society works and it's frustrating.

"Tell Chaeyoung I'm sorry, yeah?" Jeno mutters on the other end of the connection. Jaemin frowns at their mirror image as they try to fluff their fringe up in that perfect, just-dishevelled-enough way they know people like (they're a model, okay, they doubt anyone in this field goes into the job without craving some measure of external validation).  
"She'd never blame you. Chaeyoung likes you ten times better than me!" Jaemin laughs and it might be half a lie because Lee Chaeyoung has been their best friend since they were four and they know for a fact that they're her favourite male-presenting individual but it doesn't take away from the weak spot their agent has for Jeno.

"Still. I should've brought this up way sooner, I could've calculated until when my suppressants would last me–"  
"You're a top tier attorney, Lee Jeno," Jaemin interrupts him. "You work hard, you're super busy all the time and you didn't think of it any sooner. It happens."

They don't mention how this never happens with Chenle either because they, next to being self-employed, could call into work and ask for paid alpha leave no matter the circumstances. Jaemin has no such rights. On good days it's easier to stomach because they know that no matter what, in Chenle and Jeno's eyes they're their equal in this relationship. But the legality of it all is a lot harder to live with and they're not about to purposefully trigger a bad episode now, so far from home.

"I'll talk to her and if possible, she'll clear me. It's the beginning of the year, overseas events usually don't start until the end of January anyway and I'm sure most other work can be shuffled around." Most of what they're booked for is promotional work for Renjun's new line that launches in mid-February. And while Renjun is their boss in this regard he's also their friend.

"Thank you." Jeno sounds guilty still and it breaks Jaemin's heart that even after fifteen years their mate feels like he has to apologize for his heats causing issues.  
"Don't thank me. We're in this together, remember?" It takes a little concentrating to push through their own aching feelings and send Jeno a wave of reassurance instead, but Jaemin feels a spike of gratitude when they do, the emotion prompting a reaction on Chenle's end too. It's not a question nor a plea to be included, just a warm, radiating feeling of love sensing their partners in distress.

"You have to get going, right?"  
"It's just a party kind of thing. I'm not really keen on it."  
Jeno snorts at the other end of the call. Both him and Chenle have ample experience having to coax Jaemin into joining them for work functions.  
"Go. Weren't you the one who kept going on and on about networking?"  
"When I was _twenty-two_!" Jaemin can almost feel the way Jeno's lips feel against their forehead and they deflate, staring at their reflection in the mirror. Thinking of the party and the scrutiny that will come with it makes it difficult to put their smile back.

They're good at it, it's a necessity at this point, but in the privacy of their suddenly rather frightfully empty hotel room with the teasing ghost of Jeno's affection (and again, resonating in the back of their mind they feel Chenle's presence like another set of limbs wrapping around them, tracing the ink he's put on their arms over the years) it's hard.

"Renjun is going to be there, right?" Jeno's voice is soft and indulgent. He's more prone to that approach, contrasting with Chenle's more pragmatic response that would've probably stung more but appealed to Jaemin's proud, stubborn parts first—no doubt a result of both natural predisposition and years watching Jaemin go through their worst stages in life and learning when to push and when to let them sink into the softness of unconditional comfort.

"Yeah, Renjun's gonna be with me. I'll be fine. It's just–" They swallow and reach for their concealer to apply their make-up.  
"It never got easier to con myself into wanting to go."  
"I'm proud of you." Jeno's praise reverberates in the golden glow of Chenle's reassurance. Jaemin tries the Smile again, the one for the cameras and the strangers, not forced but shielding them from baring their chest too far, too quickly. It works a little better this time around. They reach for the _Stellar Beauty_ lip stain that Chenle claims they formulated with their perpetually chapped lips in mind and send them a blip of pride and appreciation through their Link. The spark of excitement they receive in return is immediate and makes applying it feel like less of a chore.

"I'm gonna hang up now. Go work, Na Jaemin. And then come home quickly."  
"I will."  
"And, um. Please talk to Chaeyoung?"  
"For sure, I promise."  
"I love you." Jeno doesn't have to try and send the sentiment through their Link, it happens so effortlessly and sweeps Jaemin off their feet for a moment.  
"I love you too."

Somewhere between Paris and Seoul the feeling resonates.

💫 🐶🐱🐰 💫

"You look tired," Renjun greets Jaemin when they enter his makeshift studio. Paper patterns are spread out across the worktable and there's a generous swath of a silky fabric draped over the back of the desk chair right next to it that beckons them closer, taunts them to run their fingers along the edge.  
"And you're not?" The question is unnecessary, Renjun looks exhausted—but sated. From the state of things, Jaemin doesn't doubt they spent the night awake working on whatever pet project that caught their fancy this time around.  
"I'm telling Chenle you're not taking good care of yourself," Jaemin threatens teasingly and wraps him into a brief but tight, hearty hug.  
"Joke's on you, Chenle approved this one."  
Now this gets Jaemin's attention. They're well aware of the fact that Chenle's parents had sponsored Renjun's studies, supporting him financially through not only his university years but also his medical transition until he'd been in a position to start repaying their generous loan. As such, Chenle often is privy to more of his plans than Jaemin, the poster boy of Renjun's brand. Still, it's rare for Renjun to actually ask for _approval_ , much less from Chenle, rather than their parents.

"Are you going to tell me what kept you up all night then?" Jaemin cranes their neck in an attempt to find out where this mystery project of his is hiding. Renjun rolls their eyes and tugs at the collar of their shirt as if calling them to order. It'd probably feel uncomfortable if it weren't for the years and years they've been close, two of which they spent dating.  
"I will if you behave," he grumbles. Jaemin knows they've already won and relax their posture, a satisfied smile tugging at the corners of their mouth.

Renjun disappears behind a screen for a moment, leaving Jaemin to their own devices to take a stroll through the space.  
_Silk and Steel_ 's Paris office is located in an older building near the Montmartre métro station (God only knows how Renjun came across the listing for this place to begin with) and the big windows let in plenty of the morning light. The haze of pollution hangs like a fog over the skyline of the city but the view beckons Jaemin closer anyway, inviting them to stay and watch. Insulation in this building is atrocious and even with the small army of electrical heaters the place always feels chilly during the winter months but it has grown on them regardless, the months spent here for fittings and photoshoots and helping Renjun with decisions on marketing and designs alike.

They're not quite business partners, though it's not for the lack of Renjun offering. But at the time _Silk and Steel_ had taken off their split had still felt a little too raw and Jaemin had been busy taking more CF work and by now everyone seems to acknowledge them as a founding member of the company regardless of bureaucracy. Renjun, for one, is very adamant about how he wants to make sure Jaemin is being paid adequately.

Pay, however, often doesn't include these special projects that he refuses to let Jaemin buy for the full manufacturing price. Most of the time they're prototypes in their late development stages, items that Renjun offers on a more personal made to order basis than having them be mass-manufactured or produced for the high fashion market.  
Things like Jaemin's favourite binder or the gorgeous lingerie they know he has created for Donghyuck, his mate. Things that are far too specific and often too personal to put out into the world as a mass product but Renjun offers to those who ask. Today's gift is much the same.

"Okay, turn around," Renjun muses and when Jaemin follows his orders they're met with a beautiful, dark blue camisole made out of delicate black lace and a shimmering fabric layered over a simple binder in the same shade of blue.  
"You said you needed a new one of these," Renjun hums and tugs at the strap of the latter before allowing Jaemin to take both items into their hands to inspect them more closely. The fabric is impossibly soft underneath their fingers.  
"Can I try it on?" Renjun throws his head back when he laughs and Jaemin feels the familiar, worn-to-complete-comfort affection for him bubble up in the pit of their stomach.  
"That's up for you to decide," he hums. "It's yours, after all."

The camisole is cut in a particular way that draws very little attention to Jaemin's chest itself, most of the detailing framing their shoulders and collarbones instead. The fabric drapes beautifully and is embroidered with a multitude of what looks like shooting stars. _The Perseids_ , Jaemin realizes. Because of course, Renjun would. Renjun, who'd always called them _Perseid Baby_ , who'd planted the idea of associating Jaemin with comets in their mates' heads.

"Because you said you couldn't find anything that didn't scream _boobs_." Renjun's voice is soft as they step out from behind the screen, clearly pleased with the reaction he's getting out of them. 

"It's beautiful." Jaemin's fingers dance appreciatively over the fabric and they make a point out of sending the sensation through the Link. Neither one of their mates is likely to be awake anymore at this hour but that's alright. Jaemin once heard that things shared with one sleeping mate (or multiple, though the study hadn't really considered couples consisting of more than two parties) would become part of their dreams. They like the idea of Jeno and Chenle dreaming of indigo and lace and delicate silver stitching even if neither one cares for fashion the same way Jaemin does.

"The binder is okay for exercise too," Renjun adds with a smile.  
"It won't do the job as thoroughly as your heavy-duty ones but you can wear it for working out."  
"Aw!" Jaemin grins. "I thought the whole point of this was for it to be safe to get freaky in."  
Their friend rolls his eyes.  
"The frilly bits are. The rest is meant for you to use it however you see fit."  
Being reminded of the lace prompts Jaemin to run their fingers along the scalloped hem of the camisole again.

"Thank you. It's– I love it." Wrapping their fingers around Renjun's beautiful, delicate wrists (Jaemin recalls having a hard time withstanding the urge to kiss them when they'd been dating; they know Donghyuck feels the same) they pull him into a hug. Renjun squawks but lets them anyway.

💫 🐶🐱🐰 💫

Jaemin makes a mental note to bring Chenle and Jeno here when they pull on their coat— _here_ being a cozy restaurant near the Bastille Métro station. Renjun had put his foot down very firmly on how he wanted there to be a good meal over an assortment of hors d'oeuvres for tonight and so Dejun, head of event management, had rented out this place for the aftermath of the _Silk and Steel_ runway show. Being a relatively small business they'd managed to cram themselves around two big massive wood tables and to be honest, even now with the clock inching closer to one in the morning Jaemin feels a little too overwhelmed to keep active correspondence with their mates.  
Chenle stirs around the same time that they're wrapping their oversized fluffy scarf around their neck, crowing that they want to see Jisung and Jaemin rolls their eyes hard enough for him to feel it through their bond. They still send him an image of Jisung, swaddled in a coat that manages to look too big despite his height and bracketed by his husband Sungchan's arms. They're both a little tipsy and Chenle lets out an endeared coo at them, demanding Jaemin send them love.

"What did you eat?" Jeno asks, interest permeating his voice in the Link.  
Jaemin can't quite remember the name of the dish, it had been a French-Spanish fusion one that despite their proficiency in French hadn't wanted to roll off their tongue properly.  
"It was really good, though. Maybe we can come to Paris together someday."  
"Someday? Like when, in a few months? A year? We should go sooner," Chenle counters the suggestion. His enthusiasm feels like electricity in their connection. To that, Jeno sends back a sliver of dread in a reminder of how his court dates are looking for– well. Pretty much the better part of the coming year.

"Fuck, just when I'd forgotten that I'm married to a litigation attorney!" Chenle moans and while Jaemin knows that the statement isn't true—they both take great pride in how good Jeno is at his job, even if neither of them understand much past what a civil law litigation attorney _does—_ they can also comprehend their mate's frustration.  
The older Jaemin grows and branches out into other ventures that don't involve photo shoots, filming and runways only, the more time at hand they find themselves with for little frivolities like impromptu trips to Paris. Chenle sets their own schedule as they go anyway and if business allows for it that's all they need. Jeno, meanwhile, is bound to a much stricter time frame and it is what it is but it also invites in frustration when so much of their dreams to see the world together are limited as a consequence.

"When's the earliest you'll be able to ask for time off?" Chenle asks. Jaemin gives them a quick heads up that they'll be linking out of the conversation for the time being, Renjun and Chaeyoung are waiting by the exit for them already. They wave the staff goodbye and thank them once again for the late-night work before following their friends and colleagues out the door.

"Say, Chaeyoung." Jaemin knows it's far past their agent's working hours and it feels wrong to ask her about this so late on a Friday night—Saturday morning, really—but it's something to put a pin in, right?  
"How busy are we going to be right after New Year?"  
Chaeyoung arches one of her elegant eyebrows and nudges their shoulders together.  
"I'm off duty, Na Jaemin. But I'm pretty sure you should be fine. I, meanwhile, will be busy spoiling my baby goddaughter."  
Jaemin exhales. They feel a pang of guilt for having momentarily forgotten about the quickly approaching birth of Chaeyoung's best friend's little girl, though it had more to do with their bad attention span and how packed their schedule had been. Chaeyoung has made no secret out of how excited she is for Nakyung's baby to be born.  
"So if I take the first week of the year off to help take care of Jeno's heat… I should technically be fine, right?"

Chaeyoung sighs and is about to pull her phone out, to which Jaemin is quick to dissuade her again.  
"No, don't check now. You're off duty, I'll ask properly tomorrow," they insist and note with relief how she's smiling at them.  
"I just remembered right now and wanted to touch on it because you remember that kind of stuff better than I do and–" Jaemin pauses, gnawing at their bottom lip.

No matter how many years pass, they still feel a little self-conscious once the rambles start. Chaeyoung doesn't say anything but she links arms with them and for a moment the lines between them at fourteen, dreaming of experiencing more than Seoul and them at thirty-four blur and blend. Jaemin remembers Chaeyoung waiting for them in front of the dressing rooms when they'd gone shopping for so-called boys' clothes because at the time the gender norms had felt rigid and not like fashion was something for Jaemin to own and deconstruct as they pleased. Jaemin remembers sprawling out on the cool floorboards of Chaeyoung's living room during their high school years, fingers sticky with molten popsicles complaining about homework and far too strict teachers and periods and pinchy shoes.

Chaeyoung, out of all nine billion humans on this earth, is the one Jaemin has the least to worry about when it comes to their rambles, even when they're tipsy and they involve asking her during off hours about work matters. Sometimes their anxieties make it hard to remember but she has never shown a sign of being fed up with Jaemin's mind's antics.  
"Jeno reminded me that it's coming up. I know I don't get alpha privileges but I want to spend the time with him and Chenle," they explain.  
"But I also don't want you to have extra work because I didn't think to plan ahead properly." "You're fine," Chaeyoung brushes them off fondly.  
"I got you covered. Plus, as I said, I'm not working during that time either and with how stubborn you are when it comes to letting anyone else manage your schedule–"  
"That's because no one else does the job the way you do!"  
" _And because you're a stubborn little fuck who won't let anyone else arrange their schedule_ you should be off when I am too," she continues, unfazed by their interruption.

"Have I ever told you that I love you?"  
Somewhere a little further ahead Yuna, one of Jaemin's fellow models lets out a half-shrieked laugh, no doubt in reaction to whatever tall tale Jungwoo from marketing is sharing today. Next to her, her girlfriend and company stylist Jiheon is fighting a fit of giggles of her own. Jisung, hands linked with one of Sungchan's, is saying something, no doubt buying into Jungwoo's story, true and embellished bits alike. A little behind Renjun is trudging after them, an arm wrapped around their mate Donghyuck's waist while they bicker lovingly over _something_. Jaemin doesn't know what exactly it is, at this point they're convinced butting heads is their love language.  
Their words are directed at Chaeyoung but really, they extend to everything and everyone right here—the gratitude for a job like theirs, the financial stability that they now have, the friendships they've made over the years.

Chaeyoung squeezes their hand gently.  
"You have but I don't tire of hearing it," she states simply.  
"And just because betas legally aren't entitled to heat leave doesn't mean that I wouldn't try to clear up your schedule anyway. I'm not _that_ heartless, you know me!"  
Jaemin would like to argue that Chaeyoung isn't heartless at all but instead opts to press a kiss to her cheek.

"Well. I love you. Very important. Please don't forget."  
"I won't."

💫 🐶🐱🐰 💫

"Have you thought about the designs yet?"

Chenle's presence is persistent but warm and comfortable in the back of Jaemin's mind. Jeno is no doubt busy and embroiled in a meeting with a client but Chenle is here and if they close their eyes they can almost smell his earthy scent and sense his presence on the uncomfortable seat next to theirs.

The tattoos have been an ongoing project. Their Link may work like a charm, in great part thanks to the sheer effort and time they've put into exploring and expanding it but one thing that Jaemin's beta nature completely rejects is the mating marks. Chenle only had to bite Jeno once and it's stayed vibrant since and vice versa the same applies. Meanwhile, no matter how often he sinks his teeth into Jaemin's neck the mark always fades within a few weeks. So the only right conclusion had been to make use of Chenle's tattooing license.

"I have a few drafts," Jaemin replies, drawing out their vowels unnecessarily for the sole purpose of dramatic effect. The fact that they don't particularly _like_ any of said drafts remains unsaid but with like so much else the Link conveys that, too. "I wanna see," Chenle urges and Jaemin feels them vibrate with curiosity but also the urge to chastise them for being so dismissive. Jaemin isn't an artist, that's his job but _the concept of it might be good_ , his voice protests stubbornly. He's always had fairly limited patience for their lapses in confidence.

"Not now, everything's packed away!" It's not a lie, either. Even if Jaemin keeps all of their mating mark tattoo designs in a small notebook that is easily accessible in their hand luggage, right now Chaeyoung is using their worn doctor bag as a pillow to catch up on the sleep their early flight home didn't leave much room for. Jaemin would probably be napping too if they weren't nervous about the flight. It'll be fine once they're in the aircraft and takeoff goes well, once the chaos of Paris Charles de Gaulle is well behind them but for now the nervousness fills their limbs with an unpleasant tingle that only really company can soothe.

If they weren't talking to Chenle right now they might have allowed themselves to butt into Renjun and Donghyuck's bickering for the sake of it but the couple is away, procuring coffee for the entirety of their sleepy crew.

"It's okay if you don't like them yet. That's what you have me for," Chenle replies and sends the emotional equivalent of a fond but exasperated roll of the eyes.  
"We can think about them further together." Jaemin concedes quietly. In a normal setting none of them would have any say in any of this to begin with but having the option makes them anxious to think about the possibility that Chenle or Jeno might not want to have any of the designs on their skin for the rest of their lives at all.

"I'm going out to shop for groceries now," Chenle changes the topic so easily, Jaemin doesn't even have time for the contrast to feel jarring.  
"So if you want anything to cook once you get home just tell me and I'll pick it up!"  
The first thing he'd done when he'd arrived in their shared flat had been to conspiratorially mentally whisper to Jaemin about how Jeno only kept the barest of necessities stocked ("Hey, I've been very busy lately!") before announcing how he'd change that.  
"I'm okay, I trust you to make good choices" they reply fondly, well aware of how Chenle will probably bring home an assortment of things they know their mates will enjoy regardless of requests.

For a moment the link goes quiet and Jaemin revels in the peace of it, the comfort of feeling in their sensory periphery what Chenle is doing—pulling on a padded coat followed by their brand new brand sneakers Jaemin got them for their birthday that absolutely aren't winter-appropriate.  
"What's the verdict on this year's Paris trip?" He eventually asks. Jaemin feels his fingers wrapping around the canvas straps of one of their household shopping bags. They don't reply in words. Instead, what they send Chenle is as follows:

The neon lights around the Bastille Métro station blurring in the foggy night, Chaeyoung leaning into their shoulder and laughing about something Jungwoo just said. Jisung backstage, his gaze earnest and focused, juxtaposed with an old memory of his during his first show where his eyes hadn't been able to look at one spot for more than five seconds. Jiheon calling them _oppa_ with the familiarity of a biological sibling and Jaemin closing their eyes, allowing her gentle touch to fix up their make-up. Donghyuck's vibrant laughter before Renjun tackles him off their hotel bed, the two of them tumbling to the ground like a pair of puppies.

The shop clerk's elegant accent on the day they and Chaeyoung and Renjun spent exploring the inner city, first browsing the shops around the Gare Saint-Lazare before making their way by foot south, past the Palais Garnier, pausing at the park surrounding the Louvre to the Seine and then following it. Pausing by the love locks, both the ones attached to the designated railing as well as the ones attached to the Pont des Arts regardless of how long the city of Paris already declared they may no longer be attached there. Jaemin sends Chenle the sense of awe at how Notre-Dame de Paris was always smaller than the impression the building left behind in them and the cramped coziness of the book shop right across the river where the three of them probably spent both too much time and too much money.

There's the memory of a clear blue winter sky above the Sacre-Coeur, the bustling of tourists and street salesmen, their discovery of a bistro that surely must've been in the same spot for decades but they only really discovered this time around. Jean Seo smiles at them from across the sound studio table where he interviewed Jaemin for the fashion segment of his evening show before taking them on a personal tour around the Maison de la Radio through deserted hallways, past lifts that have been defunct ever since renovations began again five years ago and doors that lead into nowhere. The eeriness of wandering the building right before the onset of dusk, the cold wind biting at their nose and cheeks when Jean offered them and Chaeyoung a trip up the broadcasting tower and the sprawling city at their feet from up above. The twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower they didn't visit this time around but have been promising to show Jeno and Chenle for ages.

The rattling of the Métro, too loud when the windows were open and just peaceful enough for them to drift off between scheduled appointments. Dejun's warm hands patting theirs, Jiheon fussing with their hair, Donghyuck's tight hug. Sungchan smiling at them over the rim of his cup of hot chocolate, Yuna's eyes lighting up when first seeing what she'd be wearing for the show. Renjun's pure elation at the turnout of the _Silk and Steel_ event, shaking hands and radiating confidence and joy.

They close their mental tour off with the architecture of the airport, the golden sunlight filtering through the fog when they'd arrived here at half past six in the morning. Chenle's presence feels like a hug, a pair of warm, strong arms wrapping around their midsection and holding them close. "I want to see it all with you, in person," he hums and Jaemin imagines it: holding hands with them and Jeno despite how much colder the Paris air seems than the one in Seoul, exploring the Louvre, eating ice cream even though it's not the season for it, switching the music on Chenle's phone to _The Bells of Notre Dame_ as they stand in front of the cathedral for dramatic effect.  
They want it too, so much that it almost steals their breath.

"How come you've been going back and forth between Seoul and Paris and we've never gone together anyway?" Chenle whines.  
"Life, I guess," comes the tired response. Life and responsibilities. Chenle has been, separately from Jaemin, and Jeno has been at heart, experiencing the city through the Link.  
"Let's change that," their mate decides.  
"You're turning thirty-five next year. I refuse to let you live for another year without us going to Paris together— _anywhere_ , really."  
"You might have to invest in good lawyers, I think Jeno's already booked for the better part of 2035." Jaemin's chuckle is a physical experience, not just a mental one, love and amusement swirling together like ink dripping into a glass of water. If it weren't for Chenle they'd probably surrender themselves a lot more to complaining without expecting change, accepting the suffocating reality of a capitalist adult life that means living to work.  
"Lucky for them i have a mate that is one of the best," Chenle quips.  
Jaemin wishes they could kiss him right now.

💫 🐶🐱🐰 💫

The driver drops Jaemin off by the front door and helps them lug their suitcase—50% belongings, 50% probably a little too extravagant holiday gifts—up the steps to the building before seeing them off with a friendly smile and wishing them happy holidays. It strikes them how, oh, he's _right_ , there's less than one week left until Christmas. Jaemin was raised Buddhist, celebrating it was only ever really an excuse to give and receive gifts and decorate the tiny plastic tree their family had owned and not much has changed over the years. Jeno hasn't been to church in roughly twenty years either but ever since Chenle gifted him a little Christmas Crib scene inside a matchbox they'd bought during a work trip to Germany he's been diligently setting it out every December first.

Not much about the day will be special, Jaemin is horrible at keeping gifts a secret so chances are that by the evening of December 24th, when Jeno's older sister will be over with her husband and their two daughters, everyone save for the kids will have received their presents already. Chenle's family they won't be seeing until the Shanghai trip planned for late July anyway and Jaemin's mother will want them over on the 26th to send them back home with almost too many containers of homemade food to carry. But the thought of being home at all, curling up on the couch with the cats or cobbling together an improvised dinner with whatever's in the fridge and squabbling with Chenle and Jeno over what to watch on Netflix is as good as any big celebration. They'll make their mates get dressed warmly and drag them out to a café to get a holiday special drink and sweets that Jeno will chide them for and they'll watch the pretty decorations and the lights and fall into bed together. Even thinking about pouring over their notebook with the other two trying to pinpoint their mating bond tattoos feels oddly exciting now.

When they unlock the door their flat smells like burning sugar and mulled wine and rice that is probably a few minutes away from being done cooking. There's music playing in the kitchen and Bongsik comes out into the hallway as they're toeing off their shoes to meow in greeting. That, in turn, prompts a chain reaction of the music being turned down, followed by Chenle skidding into sight just before Jeno can follow.  
"You're home! Why didn't you say anything?!" the latter complains, watching as Chenle slips past their cat to jump into Jaemin's arms.  
"God, all of that muscle has made you _heavy_ , Zhong Chenle! You should stop working out with Jeno so much!" Jaemin complains, though they show no resistance when Chenle starts scenting them vigorously as if to get rid of the smell of the outside world. Jeno follows soon after, rolling the suitcase into the little guest bathroom they've fashioned into a laundry room before joining the hug.

Jaemin relaxes into the hold even though they're starting to grow uncomfortably hot in their coat that they haven't had a chance to take off yet. Their arms come up around their two lovers, pulling them impossibly close. A set of claws digs indignantly into their calf as if demanding immediate attention while another feline body starts moving between the three pairs of legs in hopes of someone giving them the affection they crave. There's more meowing coming from the laundry room where Jaemin knows Nal and Chuseok like to nap whenever the washing machine isn't in use and commotion in the living room where Chilseok is probably trying to finagle part of whatever is going to be for dinner.

Their heart swells.  
"I'm home," Jaemin whispers.  
"Welcome home," the Link replies without a distinct voice, instead melding Chenle and Jeno together into one overwhelming, resounding feeling.

_Welcome home._

**Author's Note:**

> More notes because I can't shut up and I've put a lot of things into this fic that I want to talk about:
> 
> \+ For a general overview, the time zone differences between Jenjaemle are: seven hours between Jaemin (GMT+1) and Chenle (GMT+8), one between Chenle and Jeno (GMT+9) and eight between Jaemin and Jeno! That actually might not be accurate to 2034 with that whole debate about whether daylight savings is going to be abolished or not but it still exists in 2020 so that's all I have!
> 
> \+ Speaking of 2034, I aged the characters up past the late twenties that were mentioned in the prompt just because I felt like it'd give their current place in life a little more credibility! I hope that choice didn't throw you off too badly!
> 
> \+ Jaemin's experiences with gender are largely rooted in my own, hence no surgeries and no hormones. I didn't feel confident in straying too far from that even with all of the research I've done over the years both for myself and to refresh my memory for this fic so I didn't. While I've used exclusively they/them when referring to them for the sake of simplicity they go by they/them and he/him both in my heart.
> 
> \+ The choice to switch back and forth between pronouns for Chenle, meanwhile, was very deliberate and while I understand that it might make understanding discerning between when they and Jaemin are speaking in a few scenes a little confusing I hope that it works regardless!


End file.
